


10 x 10

by pageofwands (eorumverba)



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 19:18:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18079373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eorumverba/pseuds/pageofwands
Summary: previews of things i'm currently working onthere are other ships, but asrian will always be the primary ship+some are nsfw, and some have allusions to character death





	10 x 10

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for 100 followers on [tumblr](http://page-ofwands.tumblr.com)

According to the calendar on the wall, Julian’s heat isn’t to start for another few weeks. It’s regular, surprisingly so, and it hits slow at first: a few days of him complaining about how hot it is around the house and clinging to Asra at every chance that he can. And then it’ll really start, building slow and steady before the heat and the hormones crash over like an ocean wave, and then it’s sex and sex and sex until whatever it is that makes the heat exist decides that enough is enough.

> nadi: Come get Julian, his heat hit early. You should probably hurry
> 
> asra: omw

The front door is locked, but Asra’s been friends with Nadia long enough to know that pushing hard at the right side of the door while turning the knob quick makes it open. She’d been complaining about it for years, but never got around to fixing it, and for the first time, Asra is grateful for that. Because even from downstairs, he can smell Julian’s scent, something like the ocean breeze on a sunny day, something like warm vanilla, something like brown sugar - and then there’s the heat, making everything smell sweeter and sweeter.

But more than the scent is what he can hear. Because there’s something about the heat (the wanting, maybe, or the  _needing_ ) that completely unravels Julian even more than Asra can on a good day, and there’s something about the heat that completely takes away Julian’s shyness. Which is why, as Asra takes the stairs slow and quiet, he can hear Julian whining and begging, for fingers and a knot and to be touched,  _please_. And then there’s Nadia’s voice, quiet and amused and almost bored, as she says, “Convince me.”

* * *

 "There's something of a little tradition that the Horsemen have," Julian yells into Asra's ear, "that they'll pick a lucky fan to..." and here, Julian breaks off. Asra can't help smiling a little, because after so long, Julian still gets so easily flustered to explicitly say anything vulgar.

"To fuck them, Ilya?" And Asra doesn't have to yell, but Julian shivers anyway as he nods.

"It's really just Lucio. The singer-"

"I know which one Lucio is, Ilya." And before Julian can get too flustered, Asra lets their gaze wander towards the stage. "Have you ever been picked?"

Julian's face is pink now and he shakes his head.

* * *

 Julian doesn't know what he's expecting when they get to the hotel. His heart stays in his throat all the way through the lobby and up the elevator and down the hallway, and his he sucks in a breath when they finally get to Asra's room. It's a nice room, as most hotel rooms are, but all Julian can focus on is the huge bed in the center.

"Just one bed, huh?" he blurts out. Asra is toeing their shoes off, and they shoot him a honeyed, coy smile through their lashes.

"Why would I need more than one, Ilya?"

And oh.  _Oh,_ because Asra keeps their eyes glued on him as they walk backwards and seat themself on the edge of the bed. They don't demand that he come closer, or say anything - all they do is spread their legs, just a little, and they smile soft and sweet. It's an invitation that Julian very easily takes, coming closer, closer until he's standing between Asra's spread legs. Their hands come up to his waist, but they don't do anything else, not even when Julian leans down and cups their cheeks with his hands to kiss them again.

* * *

Julian's breaths are coming quick and shallow now, and he doesn't know how, but he knows with certainty that he will die soon. He's not delirious, has full control of all of his functions, but when Asra stands, he reaches out blindly and grips their hand tight tight tight, choking on all the words that are bubbling up (and the flower petals that are threatening to spill out). Eventually he manages to say, "Don't want you to go."

"Ilya, I'm just going to make you some tea, okay? I'll be but a few minutes."

" _Asra_."

Asra frowns, and it's a moment of silence, but for Julian's ragged breathing. But when they speak this time, their voice is much softer, and they flash him a tired, acquiescing smile. "I won't go anywhere, Ilya."

And maybe Julian's stupid for hoping, maybe Asra's stupid for indulging him, but Julian doesn't care, not even when he feels the roots tangle tighter around his lungs. "Thank you, Asra."

Asra is only gone for a few minutes, just like they said, but they look years older when they come back bearing a single mug. "Ilya, you really do love me this much? Enough to die? There's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

"There's nothing."

Julian can tell that Asra wants to say something more, but all they do is settle by Julian's side, close enough to touch. "Drink, Ilya."

* * *

"So, Ilya," Asra starts. They can't help smiling at the way Julian's whole body stiffens when they move even closer, and maybe it's a little bit mean, but Asra has always loved how easy Julian is for them. "How was your day? And your flight?"

"Good! Uh, good. I slept for most of the flight, honestly. I..." and here, Julian looks away, blushing pink. "The best part about today was seeing you for the first time."

"Oh, Ilya. You're so sweet," Asra says, and they mean it. They really, really do.

Julian immediately looks away, trying and failing to hide his pleased, flustered smile. "Thank you, Asra."

"So," And Asra is definitely being mean now, when they lean in closer, they rest their hand to the seam of his jeans. "Ilya."

If Asra weren't so close, they would've missed the way Julian's breath hitched, the way he stiffened, just a little bit. But Asra  _is_  that close, so they notice.

* * *

"Say it," Julian breathes out. He's sososo  _close_ , muscles locking up and twitching already as his hips jerk up. And for how debauched he looks and  _feels,_ Asra is just as composed as they had been in the beginning. Julian wants to reach up and run their curls between his fingers, wants to smear their lip gloss with his own lips, wants to tug at their clothes and mark up their skin and make them feel hot and needy and just as fucked out as he feels.

But it's Asra, so they just give him a cheshire grin and skate their fingers along the length of Julian's body as they murmur, "Make me."

Julian feels the words in his gut, feels it through a shiver of heat, replays the words again and again in his mind. Asra must take his lack of answer as an answer, because they just laugh and shake their head.

"I don't know why I bothered asking, Julian. We both know who you belong to. Just like we both know that..." and Julian follows Asra's gaze down and down and  _down_ , holds his breath because he knows what's coming. "Pathetic."

The word should be humiliating, but it just makes Julian gasp, reaching blindly for Asra with his free hand. Asra just coos, leaning in like they can't see. "It's almost adorable, Ilya. So tiny and cute, your pathetic little cock leaking so much."

* * *

"I'm so  _sorry_ ," Julian whispers. His gray eyes are dark and stormy, and there is an eternity of mournful sadness in their depths. His hand trembles when he brings it up to touch Asra, gentle, almost disbelieving. First his cheek, then the scar on his neck, discolored purple like a fresh bruise. Julian's touch lingers exactly where the scar is deepest, even covered as it is, and Asra shivers.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you, all of these years, all of these lives. That's all I wanted to do - keep you safe. That's all, I swear it."

It's all Asra can do to even nod with how raw he feels right now. There's some  _emotion_  bubbling up that he doesn't even know how to begin to name, just that it begins and ends with Julian. He himself begins and ends with Julian.

And then, as if a string has been cut, Julian collapses at his feet. He's not crying, but Asra can feel his sorrow as if it were his own. "I'm so sorry," Julian whispers again. Asra sinks to a kneel as well, pushing aside the doubt that pervades the rational side of his brain for what he instinctively, intuitively knows to be true.

As dangerous as Julian may be, he would never hurt him.

* * *

Everyone knows that the pretty boy with the delicate hands and the cheshire smile knows how to make people feel. Not just feel, but  _really_ feel, capital letters and all. He's got a bit of a reputation - not just for being pretty, but for his violet eyes and snow white hair, for his skin like sunlight on gold and his voice like sweet honey. People whisper his name under their breaths, call him a magician, a witch even, because he always  _knows._ He makes people  _Feel._

When Julian steps into the witch-magician's shop, it's later than late, and though the front windows are dark, the door is unlocked, and there is a pleasing, smoky smell permeating the front room. Before he can call out, Asra appears, and it must be him. Julian registers first what he's been told - white hair and violet eyes and honey skin - and then he sees the jewel bright snake wrapped around Asra's neck and he almost squeaks. Asra must be a witch, he decides then, to have a creature like that touching him so familiarly.

"Good evening," Asra murmurs, and Julian falls in love. He's holding a mug that he presses easily into Julian's hands, and it is hot, the drink freshly brewed. "Follow me, Julian."

* * *

Julian is here now, squinting up at the menu like he doesn't order the same thing every night, and Asra can't help smiling. "Large black, Julian?"

It shouldn't be cute, but the way Julian startles at Asra's voice makes them smile, and they don't bother hiding it behind their hand like they usually do. Julian smiles back, albeit sheepishly. "I didn't know you knew my name," he says instead.

"You come in every night, and you order the same thing," Asra points out, "Plus, you're not that hard to miss."

Julian blinks once and then again like he's processing, and then he smiles more genuinely, the quirk of his lips lopsided and beautiful. "I do, don't I? Though, it's funny, because I thought the same thing about you."

And, huh. Asra is used to people flirting with them, but this is the first time it feels genuine.

All they say though, is- "Thank you, Julian. Your coffee?"

"Large black," Julian says. Both the expression on his face and the smile on his lips shows how sheepish he is, and it makes Asra's heart thud in their chest.

"Of course, Julian."

As unprofessional as it is, when Asra picks up Julian's cup and a marker to write his name on it, they find themself fixated on a sudden idea, and after a moment's hesitation, they scrawl their number beneath his name.

* * *

 

He's lying bare, his skin silk smooth and honey gold in the afternoon sunlight. From his place in the doorway, Julian can see the way the muscles in his upper back shift as if-

"You really are an angel, aren't you?" Julian asks. He says it mostly to himself, but Asra glances back to look at him, that familiar cheshire grin flirting with his lips.

"Maybe," is all he says in reply, and his eyes follow Julian as he comes fully into the room and settles on the bed next to him. He doesn't close his eyes until Julian reaches out, ever so carefully, every so gently, to touch. It's just the tips of his fingers against the nape of Asra's neck, and maybe that's why, but it makes Asra shiver, all the way down the length of his body.

"Well," Julian mumbles, "regardless, you're definitely  _my_  angel."

Asra hums and rests the side of his face against his folded arms again, smiling with closed eyes as Julian trails his fingertips down to the jut of his shoulder blades.

"May I?" Julian asks. Asra hums, and his smile grows as he nods.

Even though Asra knows what's coming, he still tenses when Julian shifts closer. "Angel," Julian whispers. He follows the curve of his shoulder blades, the length of his back with his fingers and lips, pressing kisses to where his wings would be and whispering praises to his skin.


End file.
